United Nations Meeting for International Day of Cooperatives

Monique Leroux confirms cooperatives' power to act in implementing new UN Sustainable Development Goals

Quebec City, Canada, June 29, 2016 – During a United Nations meeting held today to mark the International Day of Cooperatives on July 2, the President of the International Co-operative Alliance and co-host of the International Summit of Cooperatives, Monique F. Leroux, plans to reiterate the key role that cooperatives play in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The meeting will be attended by Deputy Secretary‑General of the United Nations Jan Eliasson, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN Marc-André Blanchard, and many dignitaries.

“By their nature, cooperatives are sustainable businesses with a long-term vision for their development. Owing to their values and principles, they are well positioned to contribute to the well-being of communities and to meet their needs. It’s in their DNA, says Ms. Leroux. “They will also be taking concrete action during the 2016 International Summit of Cooperatives as part of an unprecedented collaborative exercise. Over the course of half a day, more than 3000 cooperative sector players will look at the major issues identified by the UN.”

This collaborative spirit will also underlie the “Coops for 2030” online platform, to be launched in July by the International Co-operative Alliance. This sharing platform will present the initiatives of cooperatives from around the world for meeting the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, adopted by world leaders in September 2015 to give effect to the Millennium Development Goals.

Discussions focussed on UN goals

On October 13, 2016, participants attending the third edition of the International Summit of Cooperatives, an initiative of the Desjardins Group and the International Co-operative Alliance, will be discussing specific solutions that might help achieve the new UN Sustainable Development Goals. To facilitate discussions, these goals have been divided into five main groups, that is, food security, employment, access to health care and social services, poverty and financial inclusion, and climate change and sustainable development.

Representatives from major international organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank, will be in attendance, as will world-renowned experts on food, economic, social and environmental issues. They will take part in a roundtable to express their views on the potential role that cooperatives can play in the areas identified by the UN.

Workshops will then give Summit participants an opportunity to consider courses of action for achieving the targets specific to each goal over the next 15 years. These workshops will be facilitated by specialists primarily from international and cooperative organizations.

Recommendations arising from these discussions will form an integral part of the Summit Declaration, to be submitted to the UN, and will solidify cooperatives’ commitment to act in order to eradicate poverty, protect the planet and create prosperity for all.

The International Summit of Cooperatives will be held in Quebec City, Canada, from October 11 to 13, 2016. For additional information about Summit activities or to register: www.intlsummit.coop.

About the International Summit of Cooperatives

The International Summit of Cooperatives is the world's leading event for business development in the cooperative and mutual community. It offers managers, decision-makers and leaders of cooperative and mutual enterprises of all sizes and in all sectors, as well as anyone in the world of business, a unique venue for reflection, discussion, cooperation and training on major trends, as well as on current and future economic and financial issues. By demonstrating that cooperatives are one answer to the major socioeconomic issues of our times, the Summit aims to promote and foster the development of cooperative enterprises in all countries. The event attracts more than 3,000 participants from 93 countries.